


Captive

by f_romanoff_13



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Avengers - Freeform, Captive, Danger, Dark, Gen, Hurt, Injury, Kidnapped, Lots of torture, Saccrifice, Teambuilding, Torture, Villains, Violence, hostage, information
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-18
Updated: 2014-01-20
Packaged: 2017-12-29 19:37:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 7,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1009236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/f_romanoff_13/pseuds/f_romanoff_13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Avengers are sent out on a mission together, it doesn't start well and it ends worse. They're kidnapped and held captive because someone wants some information out of them...</p><p>  <em>*This author is now back at uni, all uncompleted stories are still in progress and i will still be working on them, however it may be a while between updates, sorry!*</em></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> Not Beta-ed  
> Sorry for any mistakes!  
> Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Characters unfortunately do not belong to me.

The Avengers latest mission was, quite frankly, a disaster. They’d entered the warehouse in the midst of an argument; Tony and Steve were disagreeing about the tactics of the mission, Clint and Natasha weren't speaking to each other after they’d had a row that morning, and Bruce was fed up with how childish everyone was being; he’d had very little sleep and couldn't put up with this much longer. Thor was pretty oblivious to everything.

Coulson had guided them through a maze of underground tunnel systems, alley ways and abandoned warehouses before his comm unit went silent, leaving them blind and worried about their handler.

Clint wanted to go back to check he was okay, Steve insisted they stay and see the mission through; the others took sides and it ended up three vs three. 

That was the last thing any of them remembered before waking up; stripped of all weaponry (and Tony of his suit), all six of them had their wrists bound by chains attached to the ceiling; which wasn't so bad if you were Thor or Steve, being tall still gave them some range of motion, however it left Natasha balancing on the tips of her toes to take a bit of weight off the cuffs cutting into her wrists.  


They're held in a large room, probably underground judging by how cold and damp it was; stood in a circle facing one another. The arguing started again not long after they regained consciousness; Tony’s ‘I told you so’ attitude really grinded on Steve, who then pulled rank, much to the displeasure of Clint. Natasha was still annoyed at Clint and the blood running down her arms accompanied by an increasing feeling of numbness in her hands was making her even more irritable. 

“Guys... I really need you to just stop... STOP!” Bruce shouted, clenching his fists and shutting his eyes tightly. Instantly the other five members of the team stopped arguing and stared at their friend. If Bruce lost control and the other guy made an appearance it would not be good at this point; Natasha and Tony were stood either side of him and were far too close for comfort.

Bruce’s breathing steadied and his hands relaxed, he opened his eyes slowly and nodded subtly to his team;

“Can we just, not?”

“Bruce is right, to get out of this we need to work as a team” Steve stated, it took all Tony’s strength not to roll his eyes or answer sarcastically, but for Bruce’s sake, as much as his own, he kept his resolve and silently nodded.


	2. II

A moment later; the heavy metal lock on the door in the far corner of the room (and the only entrance/exit) creaked open; in strode a tall, heavily built man. He had dark hair and a badly scarred face. Grey eyes starred at each of his captives, his thin lips turned up slightly at the sight of them.  
He slowly strolled to the centre of the room, pushed his way between Clint and Thor and turned to face Steve from the middle of the circle;

“Welcome. I apologise now, for this will not be a pleasant experience for you”

“What do you-“

Before Steve could even finish his sentence, the man withdrew a gun and fired one shot through Clint’s thigh, without ever removing his gaze from Steve.  
Natasha’s eyes went wide at the abruptness of it. Thor struggled against his binds and Tony yelled in outrage. Clint’s leg gave out from under him and he struggled to remain balanced on just one.

“Russian Roulette anyone?” the man smirked around at them, waving the gun around like a toy. “But how rude of me; I of course know who you all are, but you don’t know me now do you?”

“No offence but I don’t really want to” Tony said without thinking; the man turned slowly and smirked at him. “Mr. Stark; my name is Gavrok, and you need to learn some manners” and with that, he lifted the gun and shot Steve in the calf while smiling malevolently at Tony, almost daring him to speak again.

“WHAT THE HELL-“

“Do you wish me to continue?” Gavrok asked, lifting the gun and aiming it squarely at Natasha’s face. She didn’t finch, but rather stared at him defiantly despite the fact his eyes were still glued on Tony, the rest of the team however looked terrified. Tony shook his head, glancing apologetically at both Natasha and Steve. 

The team now silent, Gavrok jabbed a needle into both Clint’s and Steve’s necks, knocking them unconscious almost immediately, he released the cuffs which bound them and called in some men to remove them from the room. 

Smiling at the remaining four he flipped off the light and slammed the door shut.


	3. III

With no windows it was hard to keep track of the time. It could have been day or night; the team were none the wiser. Time passed slowly and painfully, Gavrok remained elusive, and they had no idea what had happened to Clint or Steve.  
Tony’s stomach groaned in protest to their lack of food, they were all dehydrated and exhausted. Somehow Thor managed to get some sleep; the others however had been awake for days.

“What’s he waiting for?” Tony said, pulling at the chains above his head once more.

“Who knows”

“He’s one crazy son of a bitch!”

“We can’t underestimate him. He may be crazy but he still got all six of us here”

Suddenly the cuff’s holding Bruce in place released, freeing him. The other three looked at him in surprise. He stumbled a few steps back.. 

“Oh no”

“Bruce what is it?”

He rubbed at his wrist; “there was a needle in the cuffs, it just injected me with something”

He shuffled backwards, into the corner of the room. Only Thor could see him properly now, Natasha and Tony both had their backs to him.

“Bruce?” Natasha’s voice shook slightly

His breathing became louder and more rapid, and suddenly he wasn’t Bruce anymore.

The Hulk appeared, and not two seconds later; Gavrok reappeared, shooting several large tranquiliser darts at him. All four hit their target and brought him down. He transformed instantly back into Bruce and was dragged from the room.

Gavrok remained, looking over the remaining three in the room. 

“I wonder... which of you it’ll be”

“Tell us what you want of us” Thor asked. He was the only one still stood upright; Tony had started alternating supporting his weight off his feet to his wrists and back again, and Natasha was struggling; mostly resigning herself to hanging from her wrists. 

“I want some information from you, well, certain members of your team, but I intend to have some fun before I get it” he smirked, before turning to Tony and stabbing him with a long blade through his abdomen. Slowly he withdrew the blade and threw it to the floor.

“I've always wondered” he began, turning back to face Thor, “What effects do bullets have on you?”  
He once again withdrew his gun and fired three shots. They had very little affect on the Asgardian, leaving nothing more than a few bruises. Gavrok tilted his head slightly in contemplation; “Hum, interesting...”

Two men entered the room and left with Tony, Gavrok turned to follow them, pausing to look at Natasha for a second before slamming the door once again.


	4. IV

Natasha decided she’d had enough; mustering all her remaining strength she stood as tall as she could, on the very points of her toes, she reached up and grabbed the chains above her and pulled herself up. Lifting herself off the ground she managed to grab one of her hair grips before she fell painfully back to the floor. Thor gave her a quizzical look from across the room but chose not to question her actions. A few seconds later she’d managed to fashion a sort of lock pick out of her hair grip.  
Once again she reached up for the chains and lifted herself off the ground, in order to give herself enough manoeuvrability to reach the lock. A few minutes passed before the first cuff finally clicked open and Thor looked at her with renewed hope.  
While trying to free her remaining hand, her grip gave out, and she slipped and fell. Her right wrist snapped against the jarring force of the cuff, painfully breaking her wrist. She inhaled sharply to try to ignore the pain and prevent herself making any noise and alerting her captors. 

Gavrok opened the door once again, slowly entering the room with a smile on his face;

“Miss Romanoff, I should have guessed...”  
He removed a syringe from his pocket, like the one he’d used on Clint and Steve and stuck it into Natasha’s neck; rendering her unconscious once again. 

“Tell me Gavrok, tell me what it is you want to know, I will tell you! Please, just let my teammates go”

“Sadly you cannot provide the information I need, however gallant your intentions” 

Gavrok freed Natasha’s broken wrist and carried her from the room, locking the door and leaving Thor stood alone. A moment later the room began to fill with gas and the last thought Thor had before passing out was whether his teammates and friends were even still alive...


	5. V

Clint was pissed. 

He’d been locked in his cell for days. His thigh still bled; although the makeshift bandages he’d fashioned from material he’d ripped from his sleeves had stemmed it mostly. He was lucky Gavrok hadn’t hit his femoral artery.  
His hands were bound; cuffed once again although this time to the back wall. It allowed him to sit on the floor; which was good because he didn’t think he had the strength to stand any longer. 

Steve was in the cell to his right; he’d been quiet ever since the day they’d been thrown in the cells, saying very little other than offering the others the few scraps of bread Gavrok threw into the cells once a day; Clint didn’t think he’d seen Steve eat for days.

Tony was in the cell to Clint’s left. Once again, like with Clint and Steve, no major arteries or anything important had been hit when he’d been attacked by Gavrok; it hurt like hell, but no major damage done. He wanted them all alive... For now. 

Steve and Tony, unlike Clint, were unbound. Clint hadn’t figured out why yet.

He wondered what had happened to the others, what had happened to Tasha. If something happened to her, or to him, and he never got the chance to say he was sorry... Such a stupid disagreement, and that was the last thing they’d said to each other; shouting and yelling, followed by anger, frustration and an awkward silence. He’d seen it in her eyes; when Gavrok had shot him; complete and utter fear that'd they'd never get the chance at forgiveness. 

***

Gavrok strolled down the corridor towards the cells, walking past Steve and Clint; he stopped and focused on Tony;

“Good morning Mister Stark”

“Is it?”

“It’s time. Now you will give me your secret”

“What secret?”

“The secret to becoming Iron Man”

“Ha! I don’t think so old man”

“You are sure of your decision?”

“Gee. Lemme think...”

“Very well then; your friend will suffer for this”

A pixelated image appeared on the old battered tv screen behind him; Clint and Steve both shuffled in their cells to get a better view; the screen showed Thor. He was suspended from the ceiling by his wrists; scientists milled around him; injecting him with various brightly coloured liquids. He was shaking and weakened, and even through the grainy image the team could tell he was not in good shape.

Gavrok spoke through a communication device;  
“He refused”

Suddenly electricity coursed through Thor’s body, leaving him thrashing and writhing in pain.

“I hope you change your mind soon Mister Stark” Gavrok smiled at him, turned off the screen, and turned to leave.

“Wait!” Clint called after him. Gavrok froze, turning to glare at the archer

“Where’s Tasha? Please?”   
From the short video Clint had noticed she was no longer in the room they'd originally been held in. She'd still been there when Tony had been stabbed, but since she'd been taken elsewhere and it panicked Clint not knowing where she was

Gavrok smiled, an evil and malevolent grin, before leaving once more.


	6. VI

It was another day until Gavrok appeared again.  
Strolling down the corridor to the cells slowly; he carried Natasha’s limp and battered body with him.  
Clint finally found the energy to fight against his restraints as he saw his partners condition. Steve looked up from where he sat slumped in the corner and Tony shifted in his cell, terrified this was more retribution of his refusal to cooperate. Tony had felt incredibly guilty since seeing Thor’s torment, Clint and Steve had assured him that under no circumstances could they let this guy have the secret to building an Iron Man suit; he'd done the right thing, no matter how terrible the consequences, but it did nothing to make Tony feel any better.

Gavrok unlocked Clint’s cell and threw Natasha to the ground; she was broken, bloody and beaten; covered in bruises, lacerations and burns. 

Clint fought and fought, drawing blood from his wrists as he tried to get to her, but he couldn’t. He felt helpless and angry; furious with himself for allowing this to happen to the person he cared for most.

“Perhaps when she wakes you can convince her to be less stubborn archer”

Tony tore his gaze away from Natasha’s lifeless form, realising that this wasn’t all about Iron Man; that wasn’t the only piece of information he wanted from them. Natasha too had withheld information from Gavrok, and she'd suffered the consequences.

“Or perhaps, you may have the information I require?” he gazed at Clint curiously, but Clint couldn’t take his eyes of Natasha, watching each tentative intake of breath, afraid they’d stop. 

“I want to know about her red room training. I want to know how to recreate it” Gavrok said, slowly and clearly.

Clint finally looked up at him;  
“Go to hell!”

Gavrok looked disappointed but hid it with a flash of anger. Slamming the cell shut he stormed from the room.

He’d planned this from the beginning; Clint was bound to the back wall so he couldn’t reach her, she was unconscious and hurt and there was nothing he could do for her.


	7. VII

Natasha regained consciousness several hours later. She was concussed and in a lot of pain, using all her remaining energy she managed to drag herself over to Clint’s side.  
Neither of them spoke, neither did Tony or Steve; they were in a dire situation and they all knew it. They were completely trapped, Natasha was severely injured, and they had no idea where, or in what state Bruce and Thor were. 

Gavrok wanted information on how they became superheroes; he wanted the secret to becoming Iron Man, the history of Natasha’s training, he’d probably been questioning Bruce on his experiments which resulted in the Hulk too. Information they could not afford to give him, information which if withheld much long; would kill them.

Clint didn’t sleep at all that night, he checked over Natasha’s injuries when she’d fallen asleep again; she had a broken wrist and several broken ribs, bruises covered her skin; shades of purple, black and blue. She’d been burnt, electrocuted and stabbed. Visible marks of torture were everywhere. Clint couldn’t let her go through that again; he knew she’d never reveal her secrets; she’d never even really divulged much about her past to him, but Gavrok wouldn’t give up, and Clint needed to make sure he failed...

 

The next morning Gavrok appeared once more, he strolled to the end cell and threw some photo’s over to Tony, they were pictures of Pepper; her at work, her outside her home, her with her family. He’d done his research and didn't need to say another word to get his point across.  
Next he unlocked Clint’s cell and dragged Natasha from her position at Clint’s side. Clint tried to fight, but he was still bound to the back wall; he begged and pleaded him to take him instead, but Gavrok said nothing; he bound Natasha’s hands and feet, injected her with a sedative and slung her over his shoulder. On his way out he stopped in front of Steve’s cell; 

“Your team is suffering, dying, and you could stop it all...”

Steve glared at him from where he was slumped in the corner, now he had his attention

“Tell me about the super serum, help me recreate it, and i’ll let the others go. Think about it...”  
And with that, he left once more.


	8. VIII

Gavrok reappeared that evening, depositing Natasha back in Clint’s cell; once again out of his reach.   
She was once more beaten; fresh bruises and cuts covered her body, Clint was sure there would be a few more broken bones, and this time her hands were tightly tied behind her back and she was gagged.

“I thought you wanted information from her, how are you going to get anything if you gag her?” Tony asked angrily under his breath... Something wasn’t right with this scenario.

“It became clear to me long ago Agent Romanoff would not reveal her secrets to me, and it appears her Hawk doesn’t have the information like I’d hoped”

“So why?” Steve questioned him; he had been silent since Gavrok’s revelation that morning.

“I can still have some fun” he smiled

Clint was furious at this, and lashed out; he fought once more against the chains which held him in place

“Now now archer, don’t hurt yourself unnecessarily. Your leader may yet save you. All he needs to do is reveal his secrets...” he turned to leave once more, leaving the prospect of a way out hanging in the air. 

 

Steve inhaled deeply; “Is she?”

“She’s still breathing. If that’s what you were going to ask” Clint answered, sounding harsher than he’d intended. He was furious, but not with their Captain; it wasn’t fair that this would all come down on him

“Let’s think this through” Tony cut it, noticing the way Clint’s shoulders hunched as he realised how mean angry he’d sounded with Steve  
“Somehow, this guy got six superheroes here. Had chains and restraints strong enough to hold Thor, sedatives powerful enough to knock out Steve, and some way of containing the Hulk... He wants information on how we became this way; of Natasha’s training, my suit, Steve’s serum and probably Bruce’s radiation experiments”

“Right” Clint agreed, a question lacing his tone

“So he seems pretty willing to give up on three of those things if he can get answers about Steve’s serum, why that one in particular?”

“Easy to sell?” Clint question

“It’s certainly a lot more instant that Nat’s training, more subtle the Hulk or an Iron Man suit...”

“I don’t know why he thinks I’d know the answers. I was a soldier, not a scientist” Steve said, once again breaking his silence

The other two men shrugged, and all three were silent


	9. IX

Natasha still hadn’t come round by the time Gavrok reappeared (presumably the next day, but they still had no way to track the time), smiling at them all

“Any further thoughts Captain Rogers?” he asked

Steve shook his head, he was almost glad he didn’t know the secret for the serum; just looking at Natasha, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to stay strong enough to keep it, and he was sure if Gavrok had wanted information from Clint, he’d have gotten that by now too.

“What a shame” Gavrok commented, moving to open Clint’s cell again

“Don’t” Clint asked, he meant to sound forceful, but it came out as more of a plea 

“Oh Agent Barton, are you begging?”

The glint in Gavrok’s eye made Clint furious, but anything that may help keep Natasha safe would be worth trying

“Yes. Please don’t take her again. Take me instead! Please?”

“I don’t think so... I think watching the woman suffer is having more of an effect on your dear Captain than if I were to take you, but I will give you this” Gavrok flashed a small brass key to Clint, and threw it to the floor as he lifted Natasha, taking her away once more. 

Before leaving completely, he turned back to the cells; “Oh and Mr Stark, the lovely Miss Potts will be here shortly” 

 

The key Gavrok had thrown had slid through the bars and into Tony’s cell, sadly he slid it back, as close to the archer as possible.  
A few moments later Clint’s writs were free

“Why do you think he did that?” Tony asked, referring to Clint’s hands

“I don’t think he’s bringing Natasha back” Clint answered miserably, a bout of panic rising in his chest as he thought of his partner

“I hope he’s just playing mind tricks, I’m praying to God he doesn’t have Pepper” Tony said, hoping to distract Clint from Natasha's unknown fate. Tony knew if Pepper were here, if he and Pepper were in the situation that Clint and Natasha were in; he'd tell Gavrok everything, he wouldn't be able to stop himself.

“Shield should have eyes on her, since we were all taken...” Clint tried to assure him, but he wasn’t putting anything past Gavrok.  
Both men were trying to make the other feel better, as Steve sat, desperately trying to figure a way out of this horrific situation; he'd give his life if it mean his teams safety, he had no doubt.


	10. X

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the erratic/delayed updates, for this and all my other fics/series; I'm back on placement for uni and on my first stint in a hospital (scary!) and I also have assignments due!  
> Hope you enjoy the latest updates!

Clint guess it had been about a full 24 hours since Natasha was last taken, and it worried him...

Suddenly the door slammed open, making all three men jump; “You three are the fortunate ones. Your teammates, they have not been so lucky”

Three TV screens turned on on the wall opposite the cells, each one showed a member of their team.  
They knew roughly what Natasha had been going through so far, knew she was in a really bad way, but it had been a while since they’d seen Thor, and no one had seen Bruce since he’d hulked out in the original room they’d been kept in... At least they knew for certain that the three of them were still alive...

The screen in front of Tony’s cell showed Bruce sat in a cell, breathing heavily, with a strange metal ring round his neck. Scientists were milling back and forth, electrocuting him, stabbing him, hurting him; it seemed they’d found a way to prevent the Hulk from appearing; and that left Bruce weak and vulnerable, and Tony feared for his friend.

The screen in front of Clint showed Natasha, she was no longer being stabbed and beaten like she had been over the past however many godforsaken days they’d been trapped here; she was now being held under water; thrashing and fighting with all her strength to try and breach the surface and take a breath. She failed however, and as she gave in, they dragged her from the pool and started to resuscitate her.   
Clint's hands clenched into tight fists and his jaw set in anger; water torture was the one thing that ever came close to breaking Natasha; a favourite of those who ran the Red Room because they knew how much she feared it.

The image on the screen by Steve’s cell showed Thor, he was connected to a drip feeding some toxic looking liquid into his system; leaving him unconscious. He was clearly in no fit state to fight back, so the men in the room took great pleasure in seeing how much damage they could inflict on the other worldly God.

Suddenly, Steve snapped; watching the torment his teammates were suffering through, seeing the pain on Bruce's face, the panic in Natasha, and the fear in Tony and Clint; he'd had enough and he shouted;  
“I DON’T KNOW! I DON’T KNOW ABOUT THE SERUM, SO PLEASE, PLEASE STOP THIS!”

He had barely spoken since they’d ended up in this mess, so the sudden outburst shocked the other two men in the cells

Gavrok however just sighed; “shame” he stated, switching of the monitors and turning to leave the room

“Wait!” Clint shouted after him, he’d been watching one of Gavrok’s men trying to resuscitate Natasha, but up until now, he hadn’t succeeded, and Clint needed to know...

Gavrok sensed his impending question, shrugged, and slammed the door shut behind him.

Clint lost it; he punched the concrete wall behind him so hard he was sure he’d broken more than a few bones, it didn’t make him feel better, it just enforced to him just how helpless he was in this whole fucked up situation

Behind the door; Gavrok smiled


	11. XI

It wasn’t long before Gavrok reappeared, bringing someone else with him to the cells...  
This time though, it wasn’t Natasha he had with him; it was Pepper. 

All three men’s heads snapped up as she was forced down the hallway infront of the cells, her hands bound.  
Tony’s eyes went wide; he’d been desperately hoping Gavrok had been bluffing when he’d mentioned her.... She was thrown in the cell with Tony, before Gavrok retreated from the room silently.

She was covered in blood; her hands, her clothes, her face.

“Pepper, what did he do to you?” Tony pleaded; desperate to have her in his arms, but too scared to touch her in case she was badly injured. The last thing he wanted was to cause her any pain

“I’m fine Tony, I’m not hurt” her eyes were red and puffy; she’d been crying, which explained the blood smeared on her face; she’d been frantically wiping away the tears

“Then what-“

“It’s not my blood” she answered gravely

“Then who?”

“Tasha” Clint answered for her. He’d sensed Pepper didn’t want to have this conversation in front of him and Steve, and that was the only explanation he could think of which explained why  
Pepper slowly nodded, confirming his suspicions, as she broke back down into tears, burying herself in Tony's embrace

“Is she- Pepper, I need to know... Is she-“ he stumbled over his words; couldn’t say it, he couldn’t even think it...

“She’s still alive. But I don’t know how much longer she can last; she’s in a bad way”

Clint nodded, Natasha would hold out; she had to

“She slipped me this, she told me you could use it” Pepper told him, reaching her hand over to Clint through the bars of the cell after she glanced cautiously over her shoulder at the door Gavrok had exited out of  
Clint reached out his hand to accept whatever it was Natasha had sent with Pepper

“What is it?” Tony asked, as he and Steve tried to see the object held in Clint’s hand, their full attention now focused on whatever Natasha had deemed so important, she'd probably risked her life to get it to them

“It’s a key” Clint said, Natasha never failed to amaze him

“Nat must have lifted it from somewhere while she was-“ Steve let the sentence die, not wanting to finish...

Clint reached awkwardly round the door and was shocked when his cell door actually swung open.

She'd done it, Natasha had given them a way out...


	12. XII

Clint quickly unlocked Tony’s cell, followed by Steve’s, still dumbfounded as to how Natasha had managed this one

Steve seemed to suddenly revert back to the strong leader they knew; snapping out of the moping he’d been doing since they arrived here. Clint and Tony knew he blamed himself, as much as they knew it wasn’t his fault; there was only one person to blame for this, and they would make him pay.

“Pepper, do you remember the way out?”

She nodded “I think so, yeah”

“We need to get the others first, and it’d be useful if we found some weapons” Steve summarized, and the others nodded in agreement

“Pepper, take us to where you saw Nat?” Clint pleaded, leaning on the wall slightly; he still had a bullet wound through his leg which hadn’t healed. Steve and Tony were also injured; it was going to be tough feat to get the other three out as well, but they had to try.

“Pepper, were shield looking into out disappearance?” Tony asked her suddenly

“Yeah, they didn’t have any leads though. Your coms went dead, trackers went offline. They had no way to track you once you'd been taken from that warehouse”

“What about Coulson?” Steve asked guiltily, remembering that their handler’s com unit had shorted out before they’d all been drugged and brought here

“He’s fine, he was in medical for a day or so because of the drugs in his system, he couldn’t remember what happened. He’s on the search team which has been looking for you guys”  
Clint smiled briefly, that was just like Phil

 

They made their way quietly and swiftly down the dimly lit corridors; Steve in the lead as he was the most physically able to fight, his gunshot wound having nearly completely healed thanks to his accelerated healing. _'Shame they weren't all so lucky'_ Clint thought as his leg protested painfully to the movement. Tony and Pepper followed Steve, Pepper whispering the occasional change of direction, and Clint brought up the rear.

“The next room on the left” Pepper informed them, “That’s where Natasha was”

Clint’s heart rate increased as Steve cautiously approached the door.

The room was pitch black until Tony located the light switch, and then it was suddenly too bright as white lights flooded the room  
A metal table was in the centre surrounded by metal instruments, and there was blood. A lot of blood, pooled on the floor. But Natasha wasn’t here.

“Damn it!” Clint hissed under his breath, all he wanted was his bow in his hands and one clear shot

“We’ll find her” Steve reassured him, placing a hand on Clint’s tense shoulder

“What if we’re too late?” Clint asked voicing everyone's concerns, barely holding himself together


	13. XIII

“Right” Steve said, gathering all his remaining energy in order to lead his team, “We need a plan; we can’t just go wondering aimlessly through these halls”

“We need to go get Tasha” Clint said through gritted teeth

“I’m with bird boy, that bastard could be doing anything to her... We need to get to Bruce and Thor as well. Our team needs us” Tony said determinedly, readying himself to argue with whatever Steve might say

To Tony's surprise, Steve nodded in agreement “We need an out too; we won’t be able to get far with them once we get out of here... I have a plan, but I don’t think you guys are going to like it”

“What it is?”

“We split up” 

Pepper gasped slightly, and clung tighter to Tony’s shirt. He muttered under his breath; “Well it always works on Scooby Doo...”

“Clint, you and I will go in opposite directions to look for Natasha, Bruce and Thor. Tony, you get Pepper out and get in contact with shield; we need an extraction plan and medical assistance. Once she’s safe, head back in; you’ll need to try and find your suit and give us a hand”

“But what-“ Pepper began, but was cut off by Tony; “It’ll be fine Pep” Tony nodded curtly to Steve before taking Pepper’s hand and leaving the room.  
Of course he had no way to know that, but what choice did they have? They certainly couldn’t leave their team 

 

It was a long maze of hallway after hallway, the dim lighting straining their eyes. Tony was amazed Pepper had managed to remember her way, but then he really should stop underestimating her

After about 15 minutes, Tony reached a large metal door, and found that it wasn’t locked; finally, some luck on their side. On opening, he gasped to feel the sun on his face. It was amazing after being cooped up in a cell underground for god know how long...

Dragging Pepper a good distance away, he fiddled with the com unit which was still in his ear, hoping now he was above ground and away from anything Gavrok may have used to interfere with the devices, it’d start working again, if it didn’t; they were screwed. They were literally in the middle of nowhere.

“Stark? Stark do you copy?”

“Coulson?”

“Stark! I have never been happier to hear your voice!”

“Right back at you, you think you can give us a lift?”

“Tracking your co-ordinates now. Are you all there?” Tony noticed the worry in his voice

“There’s just me and Pepper at the moment, the coms don’t work in the building. Clint and Steve are looking for the others... You may want to send a med team with the evac”

“Roger that Stark... Right, we have your co ordinates. We should be there in about three hours”

“Three hours?! Where the hell are we?”

“You’re in Mexico”


	14. XIV

Tony sprinted back into the building after promising Pepper several times that he’d be okay.  
Checking every room he passed, he eventually found something useful. 

“I missed you” he whispered as his eyes roamed his suit. They’d clearly been trying to get into it to see how it worked, however it didn’t seemed they’d made much progress. It was dented and scraped, tool marks were everywhere but nothing a little paint couldn’t fix.

Looking at the tools and equipment around the small room he got an idea...

***

Steve and Clint had gone in opposite directions in order to try and find the other members of the team. After a while of searching, they’d still found nothing...  
Suddenly the com devices in their ears crackled to life;

“Hello? Can you guys hear me?” came Tony’s voice

“Tony? How did you-“ Steve began

“I found some tools and I managed to build something to boost the signal... Lucky Gavrok didn’t think to remove the coms! Shield are on their way... Oh, and by the way; I got my suit back!” the smile spreading over his face as he spoke the last statement was clearly evident in his voice

Clint’s voice came in next; “You found anything Cap?” 

“Negative”

“Jarvis is working on compiling a map of this place, from there I can get a read from your coms, as well as the others hopefully and I can guide you to them... Just give me a few minutes”

“Guys?” 

“Bruce!” Tony exclaimed happily, it hadn’t gone unnoticed by the others it seemed it was just the three of them... Again

“How’d you get your suit?” he was tired, his voice strained but he was definitely hopeful this gave them a way out

“Nat managed to get a key to us so we could get out, we’re coming to get you” Tony assured him

“Where are Nat and Thor now?” he asked, aware that they were the only two members not currently engaging in this conversation

“I’m working on finding that out” Tony answered, not wanting to go into too much detail

Suddenly the power cut out; lights went down and doors slammed shut. They were left in complete darkness as an angry voice sounded out over the PA system

“I know how you escaped. And I will make you suffer, no one disobeys me!” Gavrok hissed

“Tony, get that map now” Clint demanded, stumbling through the dark

“Working on it, just one more... Got it! Right, Cap; you’re right near Thor, two doors up on your right”

“Tony, where’s Tasha?” 

“It’s still searching, give me a second”

“She might not have a second! You heard what he said, she’s the reason we were able to escape!”

“Clint, Jarvis isn’t picking up her com. I’ve got a location on Bruce, but that’s it”

“святое дерьмо” Clint swore as he punched the wall again


	15. XV

“I’ve got Thor! Anyone free to give me a hand?” Steve sounded down the coms as he tried to help the heavily drugged Asgardian to his feet

“I’m on my way to Bruce, but Clint if you turn around and take you’re third left, second door on your right you’ll find Steve and Thor... Clint? Clint?”

“Any way you can handle it without me?”

“Don’t worry, I got this. Go get Nat” Steve said, knowing exactly why the archer was hesitant to come and help

“Steve, me and Bruce will be there in a minute... As soon as we’ve got them out we’ll come back and help Clint”

 

It took Tony a few minutes to figure out how to release the device from around Bruce’s neck; clearly it was what was keeping the Hulk from making an appearance and they may need him. When he was finally free the two men ran down the hall to help Steve with Thor; the guy wasn’t light and was still too out of it to support his own weight.

 

Clint was only vaguely aware of the others’ progress as they chattered on the line. The four of them were together now and working on getting Thor out while Bruce worked hard to keep a lid on The Hulk; now the device had been removed the other guy was agitated at having been suppressed for so long, and the injuries Bruce had sustained over the past few days were causing his anger to boil over. Clint was far too busy searching every room he came across, hoping to glimpse a sight of his partner but so far there had been nothing.

He finally came up against a locked door, and hoped against hope that it mean Natasha was inside. A few minutes, and an injured shoulder later he knocked it down and found himself inside another empty room... feeling disheartened he turned to leave, until he spotted something; his bow. Tucked away at the back of one of the work benches mostly covered by clutter, but it was definitely his bow! His quiver was nowhere in sight, but holding the bow in his hands offered him at least a little comfort; it was familiar. As he made his way back to the long, cold hallway he stood on something; looking down he was amazed to see one of his exploding arrows. It was damaged; the timing mechanism was off, but still... An arrow was an arrow, and right now Clint would take anything he could get.

He spent the next several minutes making is way down the corridor; searching room after room... Until something made him stop and think... The room he’d found his bow in had another door at the far end, every other room, including the cells where they’d been kept and the large room they’d initially been held in; only had one exit... So where did that door go?


	16. XVI

Between Tony and Steve they managed to drag Thor out of the building, after a few wrong turns they found the door and reconvened with Pepper.   
She was so stressed she’d been pacing; the relief flooded over her as she watched the door swing open and Tony appear.

“W-where are the others?” she asked when it became apparent not all of the team where here

“Clint’s still trying to find Nat” Tony told her, avoiding his gaze from Pepper, who was still covered in Natasha’s blood

“What about Bruce?” she asked, she was visibly shaking. She wasn’t used to this; sure, she knew her friends often faced dangerous, life or death situations, went up against horrible, vicious people, but she wasn’t used to being in the middle of it, and what was worse was that she felt useless; standing by, unable to help.

“He was right... He was here!” Tony answered, confused. Searching behind him for his missing friend. 

An echoing roar sounded from the building and their questions were answered; he’d lost his hold on the Hulk. 

“Right, Pepper. You stay here with Thor, we’re going to go back and give Clint a hand and try and calm down Bruce okay?” 

She nodded her agreement and watched as Iron Man and Captain America rushed back into the building to help their friends.   
Looking down at Thor; he was in and out of consciousness, desperately fighting the drugs in his system that weighed him down. How on earth this guy had developed something to drug the Asgardian was beyond her... There was something strange about this whole thing...

 

“Any luck Clint?” Steve’s voice came down the com

“Nothing yet. I’ve got my bow, but not my quiver; I only have one arrow, but I have an idea”

“We’re on our way, but we have another problem”

“I heard, the other guy is here. Listen, I want this one; it’s personal. Keep him away until I’m done with Gavrok”

“Clint-“

“Not now Steve, you can lecture me on carelessness and teamwork later”

“All I was going to say was; ‘go get him. I hope you make him pay!’”

“Oh trust me. I will”

Clint had reached the door he’d broken down earlier and slowly entered, bow drawn. He was extra alert; the pulsating of his blood was louder than the chatter between Tony and Steve. Nothing could distract him now, he was sure this door would lead him to Gavrok, and that would lead him to Nat...


	17. XVII

It was pitch black as Clint entered through the second door and followed a set of stair down further into the building. He was on edge, but something told him this was the right way to go. Once he’d reached the bottom, the com unit turned to static and he lost connection with his team, the boost Tony had given the signal clearly didn’t extend down another floor. 

“Welcome Mr. Barton” Gavrok’s arrogant voice sounded as he entered a large room.

Concrete walls and floor, with just one single light bulb hanging from the center of the room. In the far corner was Natasha; barely conscious and tied to a chair, she was gagged, and Clint’s arrival seemed to jolt her with some energy; her eyes suddenly focused and she shifted slightly in against her binds. She was covered in blood; it ran from her abdomen down her legs and pooled on the floor, but she was alive; and right now that’s all that mattered.

Gavrok stood across from the door, glaring at Clint as he entered. Clint noticed the hint of disappointment in his face when he saw he had his bow, but he quickly pushed it aside and replaced it with a scowl.

“Don’t come any closer” he warned, lifting a gun and pointing it at Natasha, and Clint froze in place with his bow still aimed squarely at Gavrok. He knew he couldn’t use it yet, he needed to get himself and Natasha clear first; the timing devise on the explosive arrow had been damaged and there was no telling how unstable it was... It could explode on impact or it might not explode at all... The only thing on his side was that Gavrok didn’t know that.

“I knew it’d be you” Gavrok told him with a sneer

“Yeah, well... What can I say?” Clint responded with a nonchalant shrug of the shoulders.

“All I wanted was some information, and now I know how to get it” 

The change in tone caused Clint to tear his eyes away from Natasha, she suddenly looked full of fear and her eyes shone with a warning. Looking back to Gavrok, Clint found the gun now pointed at him instead

“I figured out her weakness” he snarled


	18. XVIII

“She withstood the torture well; better than any human should have been able. She should have given up her secrets long ago... But I did not take into consideration her true weakness, she would not succumb to physical torture, but mental torture... That's a whole different story. Her real weakness, is you”

Clint frowned; it had always been that way, right from that first meeting in Budapest. The only way to get to Clint was through Natasha, and the only way to compromise Nat was through Clint.  
Daring to glance in her direction, she avoided his gaze; but even so, Clint could see the fear and the regret in her eyes. 

“And don’t try anything stupid” Gavrok warned him, indicating Clint’s still raised bow. He flicked a switch on a concealed remote in his hand; sending electric shocks coursing through Natasha’s body. She writhed in pain as all her remaining strength was taken; he only let up when Clint desperately lowered his weapon; she couldn't take any more. And Clint couldn't take watching her pain

“That’s better” Gavrok sneered.

Clint’s jaw set in anger, and he made a decision - the consequences be damned.   
In one swift movement he raised his arms, aimed, and loosed the arrow, it exploded immediately on impact, barely giving Clint enough time to position himself in front of Natasha to try and shield her from the blast.

 

Tony was desperately trying to reason with 'the other guy' and get through to Bruce when the three of them heard it; the whole building shook and in the distance they heard walls collapsing as the ceiling came down.

“Clint? Clint?!” Steve called down his com, but no answer came... One arrow, Clint said he’d had one arrow left... Clearly he’d used it.

Thor suddenly appeared beside Tony; slow and stumbling, but upright and a determined edge to his face

“We must retrieve out team, we must leave together” he told them, and they all nodded. Even The Hulk understood the concept of ‘his team’

 

Pepper watched on on horror from her station outside as half the building collapsed. She prayed the team were safe; because what else could she do? She would be a liability if she went in there, there was nothing she could do to help. So she continued to wait for sheild, as tears steamed her face and she desperately tried to cling to hope.

 

There was a heavy weight across Natasha’s chest that she soon realised was Clint; the arrow had exploded and the force of the blast had sent him flying backwards, knocking over the chair she was tied to. If her wrist hadn’t already been broken; it would be now. It was awkwardly wedge between the metal chair and the concrete floor; under the weight of herself and Clint; she was completely stuck, and the explosion looked like it had caused some serious structural damage. Between the debris and dust which now clouded the air, the gag placed tightly over her mouth, Clint's dead weight lay across her abdomen, and the broken ribs she'd obtained over the past few days she was finding it increasingly difficult to breath.   
She just needed Clint to wake up so they could try and get out of there before the whole place collapsed, but it didn’t look like that would be happening anytime soon...


End file.
